Take the Icefields Parkway to Jasper and scenic splendour

By Yvonne Jeffery, Calgary HeraldSeptember 4, 2009

The Icefields Parkway is one of the world's most scenic drives. It's stunning enough if you're just driving through, but it's even better if you slow down and enjoy some of the hikes and viewpoints along the way to Jasper.

Have your camera handy and take it slow on the road (watch for wildlife and, in places, rocks).

Stay

- Emerald-hued Moraine Lake rivals nearby Lake Louise for beauty -- and you can stay there, too, at the Moraine Lake Lodge, where rustic elegance and award-winning restaurant make for a romantic getaway (morainelake.com).

- There's staying and playing at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge and Golf Course (fairmont.com/jasper) -- not to mention walks around the lake, plus hiking, canoeing and horseback riding.

Play

- Take some of the hikes off the Parkway, the Peyto Lake (easy) and Parker Ridge (steep) trails. Many of the hikes are short but reward you with stunning vistas of lakes and glaciers you won't see from the road.

- Stop at the Columbia Icefield (columbiaicefield.com), where you can learn about how the glaciers were formed and how they move each year, take a walk to the toe of the Athabasca glacier, or take a Brewster's SnoCoach tour onto the glacier's surface (wrap up, because there's always a cool wind).

- Stock up for breakfast or a delicious picnic lunch at Laggan's Bakery & Deli in Lake Louise village's Samson Mall. Bring your appetite, and your taste for good coffee.

- Splash out in style at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, in the elegant, CAA Four Diamond-rated Edith Cavell Dining Room (fairmont.com/jasper).

- Look for bistro-style food and casual dining, including tapas-style dishes and paella, at La Fiesta in Jasper, at 504 Patricia St. (780-852-0404).

See

- The story is the Crowfoot Glacier used to have three "toes" but now only has two -- even missing a digit and viewed from a distance, it's still impressive.

- Stop at the viewpoint for the Weeping Wall, where meltwater from snow and ice on Cirrus Mountain pours over the rockface.

- Don't miss the other waterfalls along the way, including Sunwapta Falls and Athabasca Falls. There's no doubt how much power water has when you're seeing and hearing it tumble into deep chasms.

Chill

- Take a cruise on Maligne Lake (malignelake.com) -- the lake Mary Schaffer, known as "Yahe-Weha" or "Mountain Woman" to the local Stoney Indians, first visited 100 years ago. She was instrumental in lobbying to have Jasper National Park's boundaries include the lake.

- Ride the Lake Louise Gondola (lakelouisegondola.com) near Lake Louise or the Whistler's Mountain Tramway (jaspertramway.com) near Jasper for a relaxing trip to the top of their respective mountains (assuming you're not afraid of heights -- if you are, consider these trips an adrenaline boost).

- Soak in the natural mineral waters of the Miette Hot Springs (pc.gc.ca), near Jasper. It's one of the most relaxing spots in the Rockies, which you'll need after the eye-opening drive to Miette up the Fiddle Valley.

- The Icefields Parkway, part of Highway 93, stretches for 230 kilometres between Lake Louise and Jasper, through both Banff and Jasper National Parks. For visitor information, check the Parks Canada website at pc.gc.ca, and enter the name of the park into the "search" box.

- Note that along the Parkway, services are available only at Saskatchewan Crossing (The Crossing Resort, online at thecrossingresort.com, offers accommodation, dining and gas) and the Columbia Icefield (accommodation and dining but no gas). Otherwise, fill up at Lake Louise or Jasper.